Highland Park votes down senior living facility

March 26, 2014|By Gregory Trotter, Tribune reporter

Inez Tivin addresses the Highland Park City Council from the podium, as Peter McCarthy waits his turn to speak. Both Tivin and McCarthy live near the proposed site for the Spectrum senior facility and were happy to see the plan defeated at Monday night's City Council meeting. (Gregory Trotter, Chicago Tribune)

A controversial plan for a senior living facility in Highland Park was defeated at Monday night's City Council meeting.

In a narrow 4-3 vote, council members denied the rezoning of the property at the corner of Compton Avenue and Livingston Street in Highland Park, which would have allowed Spectrum Retirement Communities to build an 89-room assisted living facility.

Mayor Nancy Rotering and council members Tony Blumberg, Alyssa Knobel and Paul Frank voted against the rezoning needed for the facility. Council members Kim Stone, Dan Kaufman and David Naftzger voted in favor of it.

Like others, Blumberg praised the Spectrum proposal but said the location was a bad fit.

"I hope they find a piece of property that's more welcome in this community," said Blumberg, who said he was conflicted before voting against the project.

Many who live in the residential neighborhood, which sits between the Highland Park Country Club and Half Day Road, had opposed the development, saying it would change the quiet character of the area. A petition submitted to the council had about 40 signatures from the people in neighborhood.

After the vote, some of those same residents rejoiced at the outcome following months of deliberation on the project. Exultations could be heard from outside the council chamber as people filtered out.

"I'm very happy that the neighborhood came out victorious," said Peter McCarthy, who lives on Livingston Street across from the proposed site. "It was too large of a project, and too dense, to be put in our front yard."

Spectrum officials headed for the door as Rotering read the final resolution denying the needed rezoning.

"I'm very disappointed and confused as to the overall process and why we were denied," said Mike Longfellow, Spectrum vice president of development and construction, as he left.

Longfellow said he didn't know if Spectrum would consider another location in Highland Park.

Spectrum never could shake the opposition from neighbors on Livingston Street and in the nearby Legacy Club community, who protested the increased traffic and sheer bulk of the three-story facility.

Those residents now look out on an open field and the golf course.

Throughout the process, Spectrum developers had changed the plan to try to accommodate concerns about the building's appearance and impact.

As one example, delivery trucks – about seven per week – were routed south on Compton Avenue, circling the facility and exiting the same way, in an effort to minimize the impact on Livingston Street, developers have said.

One large food delivery truck a week would have exited via Livingston.

After the meeting, Mayor Rotering said the council struggled with the decision.

"Everyone acknowledged the strong need for assisted living facilities in Highland Park," Rotering said. "But by the same token, it really wasn't consistent with the surrounding area."

Naftzger lamented what he felt was a lost opportunity to develop a difficult piece of property.

"I was disappointed. I think we lost a good project," Naftzger said. "I do hope they find another location here in Highland Park. But based on the input we got from them before, I'm not confident of that."